Minister says corruption and sabotage are disrupting water services

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has stated that corruption, infrastructure theft, and sabotage are disrupting water services in South Africa. The National Water Action Plan includes coordinated measures involving government departments, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence structures to combat these issues. Majodina emphasized that municipalities should reduce their reliance on emergency tankers and instead procure their own tankers to improve expenditure control and minimize opportunities for criminal infiltration.

The National Treasury has advised municipalities that water tankering should not be a long-term service delivery model, but rather a temporary emergency intervention. The South African Human Rights Commission has warned that emergency tankering during municipal water shortages can create corruption opportunities. The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has called for stronger controls over tanker procurement, including the possibility of municipalities acquiring and managing their own emergency fleets.